Sandusky victim's book offers insight, speculation

Consider this before we go further: what should a reader expect from a book about a child abuse victim? Or, from a different approach, what should the mission be for such a book?

Is it to provide the gory details of countless encounters with a mentor turned monster? Or would that feed an unhealthy thirst for voyeurism and perhaps serve as a playbook for future pedophiles?

Or, is it to offer insight into the emotional fragility of the victim and his family as he confronts his abuser, recovers from his abuse and seeks justice through an arduous criminal process? "Silent No More," the book released Tuesday that chronicles Aaron Fisher's life as Jerry Sandusky's Victim 1, rightly accomplishes the latter - albeit sparingly.

There are certainly vital passages in "Silent No More," like when Mr. Fisher writes of the nightmares and paranoia he suffered in the wake of the heinous sexual abuse inflicted on him by Mr. Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator.

Mr. Fisher, with the assistance of author and life coach Stephanie Gertler, writes in sparse, stream-of-consciousness style of his fear that the once-revered Mr. Sandusky might harm him and his family and of the anxiety and frustration that infected him as the investigation into Mr. Sandusky's crimes persisted for three years.

Mr. Fisher's chapters are more than a mere recitation of his grand jury and trial testimony. Here, he offers the context that could not be expressed in a courtroom: feeling like he would collapse during a grand jury session, the unexpected meeting he had with another of Mr. Sandusky's victims at a state police barracks before being transported to the trial; and the way he felt as Mr. Sandusky grinned while he testified.

"Jerry actually smiled during my testimony," Mr. Fisher writes. "Every time I caught his eye, he had a grin on his face. It was crazy. When I answered a question on the stand that had to do with what Jerry did to me, his smile turned to a smirk, like he was shrugging off everything I said. He acted like he didn't care that he was on trial; he was letting me know that he'd get off scot-free because he was untouchable and no one was ever going to get him."

The chapters authored by Mr. Fisher's mother, Dawn Daniels, are vital too, as she recalls her nagging suspicions about Mr. Sandusky, who befriended a preteen Mr. Fisher at a camp on the Penn State campus run by the Second Mile, Mr. Sandusky's charity for at-risk youth.

The rest of the book is written under the name of Mr. Fisher's psychologist, Mike Gillum, of the Clinton County Children and Youth Services agency. Mr. Gillum, who authors the bulk of the 209-page book's chapters, writes passionately about Mr. Fisher's fragile emotional state and the impact the prolonged investigation had on his mental and physical health.

It is clear Mr. Gillum cares deeply for Mr. Fisher, counseling him throughout the three-year span from his first report of abuse through Mr. Sandusky's arrest in November, his conviction in June and his sentencing to 30 to 60 years in state prison earlier this month.

It is also clear Mr. Gillum, like many involved in the case, tried to conjure meaning behind the developments in the case. Too much of "Silent No More" is devoted to speculation. The book, and the reader, would be better served by real reporting than mere hypothesis.

To serve a broader purpose, "Silent No More" would be aided by the work of a thorough investigative reporter like Bob Woodward, of The Washington Post, or Walt Bogdanich, of The New York Times. They could have explored the issues Mr. Gillum raised in greater detail and with more authority to confront officials and get real answers.

Separate out Mr. Gillum's conspiratorial thoughts - which read like the notes scribbled on a psychologist's yellow note pad - and "Silent No More" stands as a testament to a boy, who despite the emotional and physical scars, had the courage and the strength to hold a tormentor accountable.

In that respect, it offers another piece of the overall Sandusky story, like the recently released "Paterno," the Joe Poznanski biography of the former Penn State football coach.

Like everything with this case, it is far from the whole story.

Contact the writer: msisak@citizensvoice.com, @cvmikesisak

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